I've never seen a franchise that needs to go 5-11 more. But that's how I feel about the 2010 St. Louis Rams. The last 3 years have been horrible. Unwatchable. Depressing. But....I trust GM Billy Devaney and Head Coach Steve Spagnolo. I believe in 39 Steven Jackson as he has matured into a leader of this team. And from the pre-season I believe that Sam Bradford will make enough plays to get yards and touchdowns from broken plays. That alone will get us into each game and at least make each game interesting. And maybe win some of those games.
I see the Rams going 5-11 with wins over the Cardinals, Seahawks, Lions, Buccaneers, and Browns. That would do enough to show me the Rams are moving in the right direction. It won't be pretty, but at least it is football.
Here are my lovely pre-season predictions: AFC: New England, Baltimore, Indianapolis, San Diego, Cincinnati, NY Jets
NFC: Washington, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Fransico, Minnesota, Dallas
Superbowl: Indianapolis over Green Bay
Many of the picks I read online are raving about the Ravens. I disagree. All winter leading up to the draft we heard about how this is a quarterback league and how much of a passing league this is. Yet, the "trendy" picks of Baltimore, NY Jets, even Cincy and Atlanta were all running teams last year. Everyone naturally assumes that young quarterbacks get better each year. That is too large of an assumption for me.
Aaron Rodgers looks great. And since I feel the NFC is wide open I find it hard to believe the Saints will just march back to the Superbowl. I feel if Green Bay focuses on defense they will make up for the shootout in Arizona and let their offense shine in the playoffs.
Then there is my doomed pick of the Colts.
Historically, Superbowl losing teams fall apart. Losing the big game has an effect the next season. The team either falls apart mentally, or one injury breaks everything apart (Brady '08, Warner '02). What is different for me is Peyton Manning. All he does is win. He leads. He doesn't allow for a letup. And I've heard from several experts that with a healthy Bob Sanders and other improvements the defense is actually better.
Improved Defense and Peyton Manning equals a Superbowl for me. Hard for me to think anything otherwise, even with the Superbowl letdown.
The Super Bowl is a special time for me. With an advertising background and a love of football I literally watch the entire game start to finish. Add on a great half-time show and thank God for DVR or I would never get to pee. So here are my thoughts on the ads, entertainment and the game.
The Ads: First off, they were disappointing to me. I felt that most ads had a good idea that never got developed. Take the Griswold's checking into a hotel for Home Away. I would totally watch a whole movie of that, but the ad just didn't pack enough punch. Even the Clydesdale commercial was completely predictable. In the end my taste in ads vastly differed from what I consider the official rankings from USA Today. I thoughts Denny's did a great job promoting their free give-away. Who knew chickens screamed like girls? My favorite Doritos ad was the one where the boy tells his mom's date "Don't touch my mom, and don't touch my Doritos." That one made me laugh. Otherwise, two ads really left an impression.
The Simpsons and Coca-Cola: The Simpsons have been around 20 years and in my opinion represent Americana. They tackle all issues, they guest star sooooo many of the best pop figures of the last 20 years. I view them as a classic that has still got it going on. Which is why pairing them with Coke was genious, as they both have the same selling points. "Remember how we were awesome 20 years ago? Still Awesome!" Plus....Burns losing his money and the town not appreciating his collection was just funny. I think in time we will see the beauty of this ad.
Flo TV Ad: I think this ad aired during half-time so it didn't "count" in the standings, but I loved it. This ad took the biggest TV moments of the last oh 50 years and put them into one ad to the tune of "My Generation" by The Who. I can't begin to describe how genius this is. But I will try. First, props for using The Who when they were playing half-time. Second, what better way to drive home the idea of a hand held TV then to remind people of the "Where were you when" moments of the last 2-3 generations??? Think about it. I mean, this was a history lesson in 1 minute!! It even carried all the way to the present with the Haiti earthquake. Total brilliance, and again the more we see this ad the more we will appreciate it.
The Winner: Snickers Tackles Betty White I must say, I was surprised that a) Anheuser-Busch lost for the second straight year and b) this is what beat it. I know that seeing Betty White getting slammed was funny, but really that was it. I mean of course seeing old people getting tackled is funny! I guess I felt that ad was too easy of a joke. Maybe that's the beauty of it.
The Who at Halftime: Ever since Justin killed Janet's career the halftime show has been aging artists who the networks need not worry about doing anything naughty. And while it's fun to sing along to great hits, some of these artists just don't pack the punch they used too. (cough Rolling Stones cough)
Not The Who. They brought it. Roger has his voice, Peter has his windmill. I was really entertained. I was more impressed by how loud the fans were singing along. I had never heard that before and it really added to the performance. Add on that amazing stage and it was definitely the best performance since U2 in '02 and in my opinion a top 5 halftime show up there with Michael Jackson and the Mo-Town tribute.
Special points for almost every song promoting the CSI series which just so happens to air on CBS. Clever.
The Game: I loved this game. I picked the Saints and was rooting hard for them. I truly felt it was a perfect game up until the Manning interception. Sure there were some drops and a stopped 4th down, but honesly those plays happen. I really felt both teams went and executed their game plans and in the end the Saints made two big plays with the Pick-6 and the onside kick. Those plays literally made up for the difference on the score board.
I think Manning played great. Turns out the Saints defense is really good. Manning made a ton of top notch throws just to put points on the board. He had to be perfect, and most of his completions were perfect. Give credit to the Saint Defense who just made one big play at the right time. I think Drew Brees kept his head and made so many smart decisions. He made safe throws and let his receivers get the yards. That's great football.
How to build a franchise: I think the St. Louis Rams can learn a lot about how to build a a championship team. Both the Colts and Saints built themselves in impressive manners and here is how I view them.
Indianapolis Colts "The Model" That roster is littered with players who have never played for another team other than the Colts. That means that the Colts have made a killing on great drafts after great drafts. It helps that they drafted future hall-of-famer Peyton Manning early in this development, but still they make the most of what they have in house year after year. This takes some time to build, but once you do you become the winning-est team of the decade. This is what every franchise tries to do.
New Orleans Saints "The Best of what's around" The Saints went out and signed great free agents at key positions and built around them in the draft. This is probably where the Rams are headed since we have drafted so poorly in recent years. I actually think the answer will be in between for the Rams. Find your "franchise" players in the draft and fill in need with quality free agents. At least we have two models to learn from.
The Future: The Saints have a ton of free agents, and Super Bowl players tend to get money thrown at them. The good news for the Saints is they won, and other quality players will want to get in on this action while the Saints still have a core of great players.
The Colts have a different problem. Losing the Super Bowl hurts. A Lot. Like try forever. Who is the last team to lose a Super Bowl and return? (Answer: The Giants took 7 years to return, the Patriots took 5 and the Steelers took 10. The Bills....lets not talk about the Bills.) Even past Super Bowl winners have troubles recovering from a loss (New England and St. Louis). So keep your chin up, Indianapolis. Keep Peyton Manning protected in the pocket and I think you will be fine. I think he is durable enough that they won't suffer the same fate as the Patriots and Rams.
Finally, I believe I predicted 7 of the 10 Super Bowl winners last decade (before the game, not the season. I didn't get any of those). That's not a bad stat! I missed The Giants/Patriots, the Seahawks/Steelers and of course the Rams/Patriots.
This will prove to be a crucial off-season for the St. Louis Rams. While I don't expect the Rams to have a winning record in 2010, history has shown that if you make the right moves your team can drastically improve in one off-season. With so many needs the Rams could go in many directions. So here is my watch list for the Rams 2010 off-season.
1: Michael Vick QB Philadelphia Eagles One year ago it was a risky move to sign Michael Vick. Nobody knew how the public would view his return to football, and I'm sure people were wondering how Vick would conduct his own behavior. To me those questions have been answered. The Rams need a QB with some mobility, and there's nobody with more mobility that Vick. He would add a much needed playmaker to this offense. Sure he's not the greatest passer, but the Rams aren't going to sign a great passer. Vick might give the 2010 Rams the best chance to win.
Also, if the Rams were to acquire Vick we would instantly become a talking point and relevant to the NFL, something we were not in 2009. Now, he won't come free. The Rams would have to trade for Vick from the Eagles. And if I read between the lines correctly the Rams are interested. The only problem might emerge if other teams desire Vick's services as well. The Rams aren't exactly a desirable place to play right now.....
My prognosis: Make it happen. 60% chance.
2: Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska Suh is regarded as the best talent in the 2010 NFL draft. The St. Louis Rams have the first pick in said draft. The Rams had the 4th worst defense in the NFL and 6th worst rush defense. All signs point to drafting Suh. Two reasons why: one is that Suh is being touted as a "special" player that doesn't come around that often. After watching him in college, I agree. Second point is to win in the NFL you need to win the battles on the line both offense and defense. This would go a long way in securing our defense. Let's put it this way, only if the Rams trade down would I be happy if we don't draft Suh.
My prognosis: Please do this. 90% chance.
3: Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame I really think the Rams need a new QB, and Clausen is the best QB in the draft. Drafting him would make the Rams relevant to the national media with everyone looking into his development. Also, the Rams would gain the attention of the loyal Notre Dame alumni which would help our attendance and overall interest.
However, is Clausen the right QB to draft number 1? I don't think so. Sure he's good, but he's no slam dunk. And great QB's don't have to be drafted in the first round, they often get drafted in 2nd and 3rd rounds. However, Clausen will gain lots of media attention especially with the Rams need at QB. In fact, I will say now that if Clausen gets drafted number 1 it's because another team trades up to get him!
My prognosis: Not my choice, but I could see it happening. 10% chance.
4/5/6/7: McCoy/Tebow/Bradford/Pike As I mentioned before, the Rams need a QB. If we take Suh with the first pick I fully expect the Rams to pick up a QB in round 2 or 3. The real question is who will be available? I like Colt McCoy the best. I like his accuracy, mobility and leadership. Sam Bradford has much to prove, but if he is healthy again he has promise to be a great passer in the NFL. Tim Tebow may not be the prettiest passer available, but his heart and leadership and determination to improve makes him a viable candidate. Tony Pike could move up the boards with some good workouts, but so could other QB's. My point is that there will be some QB's available in this draft. The question is who will still be on the board?
My Prognosis: 90% chance a QB is taken. I rank them McCoy, Tebow, Bradford, Pike.
8. Reggie Bush RB New Orleans Saints Bush is one of the most electric playmakers in the NFL. At least of the players who are free agents this off-season. Think about what Bush could offer to the Rams. He's a great compliment to Stephen Jackson. He's a playmaker both in the running game and the passing game. In fact, his pass catching ability would help make up for our lack at wide receiver. But I wonder if Reggie would choose to come to St. Louis if he receives multiple offers. (which I think he will) And how much would he cost? How much can the Rams afford for a number 2 back?
My prognosis: A boy can dream. 20% chance.
9. Osi Umenyiora DE New York Giants Osi made it clear he is unhappy with the Giants. And the Rams just so happen to have his former Defensive Coordinator in our head coach Steve Spagnoulo. Plus think about if we have Umenyiora combined with Suh and Chris Long? Tell me our defense wouldn't be better! The problem is how much would it cost the Rams to trade for him? With all the needs the Rams have it would not be shrewd to give up too many picks on trades this off-season.
My prognosis: Osi will have a better chance to win in NY. 10% chance
10: Danario Alexander WR Missouri Tigers Fans of Mizzou know about Danario. They know about his speed, his hands and his overall explosiveness. We've heard him compared to Randy Moss and know he could be a first round pick. What puzzles me is how the rest of the nation doesn't seem to get it. I've seen him listed as going in the 4th round! The Rams have great need at the WR position and really need a tall receiver to compliment Donnie Avery. The trick is if he is still on the board in the 3rd or 4th round. I'll say this right now, if Danario does fall to the 4th round the Rams take him with the first pick of the 4th.
My prognosis: Just the luck of the draft. 20% chance.
So there's my watch list. In the end I expect at least 3 of these 10 players to be on our team next year. And frankly, any combination of 3 players should lead to better play on the field next season.
I am a believer that people shouldn't grow up, just get responsible. So I try to keep my inner child by keeping in touch with sports, music, TV and video games.
